2009 Big Red

COMPETITIVE
ROWING CAMP

July 26-30

For boys & girls 15-18

2009 camp itinerary

Limited to: 20 ports, 20 starboards and 4 coxswains.

The Big Red Rowing Camp is directed by Olympians and Cornell coaches Hilary Gehman, Matthew Smith and Chris Kerber, along with 3-time national champion and EARC Coach of the Year Todd Kennett. The camp is designed for boys and girls ages 15-18. Each athlete will be challenged to improve his/her technique and fitness while enjoying a fun camp experience. Coxswains receive direct feedback and instruction. Campers row twice each day out of Cornell’s two historic boathouses on beautiful Cayuga Lake. Campers take part in erg training, receive weight training education and video feedback. Campers receive a FREE Cornell camp T-shirt.

Todd Kennett
Cornell University Men's Heavyweight Head Coach

After 10 seasons as the lightweight rowing coach, Todd Kennett was named the Spirit of '57 Director of Rowing/Heavyweight Rowing Coach in June of 2007. He will attempt to bring his alma mater to the top of the national rankings, much as he did in directing the lightweights to three consecutive national titles.

Under his direction, the Big Red lightweights won three consecutive IRA national titles(2006-08), two Eastern Sprints titles (2006, 2008) and four top-three finishes and earned four straight invitations to the renowned Henley Royal Regatta, including a pair of runner-up finishes. His varsity eight boat placed in the top six nationally in each of his last seven seasons.

The 2008 squad made history, becoming the first lightweight eight boat to capture three straight IRA titles and swept the Eastern Sprints and IRA races for the second time in three years. Cornell took home the Jope Cup, given to the school that wins the most lightweight points, at the Eastern Sprints for the first time since 1992. The Big Red also earned a fourth consecutive invite to compete at the Henley Royal Regatta, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Kennett’s varsity eight boat in 2007 won its second-consecutive IRA national title and finished as the runner-up at Henley, reaching the final for the second-straight season in the Temple Challenge Cup. The varsity finished 6-1 overall, while the junior varsity missed winning Eastern Sprints by .1 seconds.

The 2006 varsity eight captured not only the Eastern Sprints title, but also pulled off an upset and claimed the first IRA national title for the Big Red since 1992. Then, after earning another trip to Henley, the lightweights had five very successful days of racing to advance to the finals where they managed an exciting second-place finish (the Big Red’s best finish since 1967). The Eastern title was the eighth in the program’s history and the national title was the second. Also enjoying a spectacular season was the junior varsity, who earned a 7-1 record and a first-place finish at the Eastern Sprints.

A native of Middlebury, CT, Kennett has been a member of the Cornell rowing staff since 1993. He coached the Big Red’s third and fourth varsity eights in 1993-94 and served as the coach of freshman rowing from the fall of 1994 through 1998.

 

Matthew Smith
Cornell University Men's Heavyweight Assistant Coach

Former U.S. Olympian Matt Smith was named the heavyweight freshmen rowing coach at Cornell in August 2008. Smith brings a unique background to the Big Red with 16 years of rowing experience and eight years of leadership as an officer in the U.S. Army.

A seven-time member of the U.S national rowing team, Smith has won medals at the Pan-American Games, World Championships and National Championships, while also representing the U.S. in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Smith has served as a volunteer assistant coach for the men’s varsity heavyweight crew at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, during the winters of 2002, 2003 and 2007, assisting in the daily management and logistics of over 45 Division I student-athletes.

Smith rowed all four years for the Badgers, spending two years with the first varsity-8 and serving as team captain in his senior season. An Eastern Sprints and IRA medalist, Smith was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He also served as captain of Wisconsin’s freshmen heavyweight crew in 1997.

Following his graduation from Wisconsin in 2000, Smith was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army where he continued his elite rowing career in the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.

During his time in the military, Smith was promoted twice, eventually earning the rank of Captain, and was awarded the Bronze Star and Meritorious Service Medals for exceptional duty in combat and peacetime operations. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Army’s elite Ranger School.

Contact coach Smith by email at: mss365@cornell.edu

Many of the Cornell Big Red rowers will assist with instructing and counseling both on and off the water!

Camp Information

Schedule
Registration will be held at the Robert Purcell Community Center on the first day of camp. A camper orientation will be held following check in after which camp counselors will take campers to the first instructional session. Refer to the camp itinerary (above) for exact times.

Team Discounts
If ten or more campers from the same school or club register together, there is a discount of $10/week per camper off of the camp fee. It is preferred that enrollment forms for teams be mailed in as a group.

Facilities
Our facilities include world-class dining halls, swimming pools, full-time training staff, indoor turf field and the Friedman Strength and Conditioning Center.

What to Bring
Please bring plenty of clean workout gear, etc. You will need linens, a pillow, an alarm clock and towels. Cornell’s residence halls are not equipped with air conditioning, you may wish to bring a fan.

Transportation
We will pick up campers at the Ithaca Airport or bus station. You MUST contact us in writing with arrival mode and date and time by June 1. There is a $25 round trip fee for this service. We do not offer pick up from the Syracuse, Binghamton or Elmira airports.

You can request more information from the Cornell Summer Sports School by phone at:  

Questions pertaining to camp curriculum can be
best answered by the coaching staff at 607-254-5493